Top 6 Watches with Proper Water Resistance for Your Collection

Water is part of our daily life and it’s definitely inevitable to avoid them every time when we wear a timepiece. But, we know for sure that if any water got inside the watch would bring damage to the movement. Nowadays, that concern isn’t much worried anymore as we can get a list of water resistance watches with various degrees.

It’s very common these days to have our watch on while swimming, surfing, and even diving underwater. Besides, many watch enthusiasts would definitely expect to always have their favorite watch on the writs on any occasion. As water resistance watches become a common phenomenon, it’s a matter of degree that many still look into to qualify how good the watch is to handle a certain water pressure.

Following that case, many watch brands decided to carefully choose the word water resistance instead of waterproof – as it might be quite hard to be exact and ensure no water leakage at all throughout different conditions. The Omega Ultra Deep might claim as a waterproof watch and handle 15,000 meters depth. But as far as our knowledge, the deepest point in the ocean is 10,984m.

When it comes to buying water-resistance watches, we know what we need. Make sure to buy a timepiece that is comfortable and fulfills your needs about protecting the watch from the water. In fact, whether you are a professional diver or just a person who doesn’t want the watch to get wet, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Things to Consider in Buying Water Resistance Watches

You need to know some essential things to make you sure understand before purchasing one. Each level of water resistance ratings does explain the watch’s ability to handle water. You should know which level is appropriate and not appropriate for certain water activities. Take a look at the following list:

30-50 meters: the watch can withstand rain, water splashes, and shower – it shouldn’t be fully submerged in water
100 meters: safe for swimming and snorkeling
200 meters: safe for diving
300 meters: can handle professional diving or saturation diving

The list above might have answered some of your questions. It’s okay to take your watch for swimming but be mindful of the water resistance – not to mention if you wear the watch underwater for a prolonged period. There are some parts in watches that would degrade over time, such as the gaskets.

However, other factors like salt water would just worsen the condition. Therefore, it’s not recommended to go swimming with 50m water resistance as most of that ratings are for dress watches. Try to avoid risky water activities while wearing your watch. Grab a high water resistance timepiece to be a great companion underwater – 200m to 300m is a good choice.

In addition to the water resistance ratings, you also need to consider the watch strap. A rubber band is a great choice but a stainless steel bracelet and NATO are also okay. Don’t use any leather strap timepiece for water activities, they’re not meant to keep you stylish in water.

Our Top Picks of Water Resistance Watches

There are some degrees of the best water resistance watches you can find in the market. Below are our top picks with the most common levels of water resistance.

Orient Star Contemporary Standard Blue Ref. RK-AU0005L

Let’s start with the standard rating to take you for a short dive. The Orient Star Contemporary Standard Blue Ref. RK-AU0005L would be a nice choice with 100m water resistance. It’s the minimal standard that allows you for a short underwater activity. The watch is also equipped with a power reserve indicator at the 12 o’clock position.

But truth be told, the watch is best suited as a dress watch rather than a tool watch. But rest assured as it still makes a reliable dress watch. It is driven by the in-house Caliber F6N43 with 50 hours of power reserve. The whole watch is also built to be sturdy and well-fitting for a dressy look.

Seiko Prospex 200M Automatic “Captain Willard” Green Ref. SBDC111

Water resistance of 200m would be good enough to accompany your diving activities. The watch can handle water pressure for a more prolonged time rather than before. Talking about appearance, the watch also appears bulky and robust which makes it a trustworthy and reliable tool.

The Seiko Prospex 200M Automatic “Captain Willard” Green Ref. SBDC111 comes with a sturdy design yet is slim and curved to fit comfortably on any wrist size. Driven by the new Caliber 6R35, the watch offers an impressive power reserve for up to 70 hours. Additionally, you definitely can’t miss the green bezel with its smooth 120-click unidirectional rotations.

Oris Aquis Date Black Sunburst – Rubber

When it comes to 300m water resistance, you definitely refer to serious diving. We would like to recommend the Oris Aquis Date Black Sunburst – Rubber to keep you stay stylish and with reliable performance. It is a dive watch set to fulfill a diver’s needs from 300m water resistance to a uni-directional rotating diver’s bezel.

It comes in a 39.5mm diameter which is designed to be more versatile. The case design also comes in more elegant which makes it not only practical as a dive watch but also a comfortable watch for casual occasions. In addition to that, it is paired with a rubber band which is a great match for diving.

Squale 50 ATMOS Blackout

The next dive watch with high water resistance that you should look forward to is the Squale 50 ATMOS Blackout. It flaunts a 500m water resistance without the use of the conventional Helium escapement valve. It’s possible due to its unique case design that comes in a slim 12.5mm thickness.

The watch also ensures great legibility by featuring an anti-reflective coating on a sapphire crystal, SuperLuminova, white hour markers, and white hands as well as big markers on the 120 clicks bezel. At the heart of the watch is the Swiss automatic movement ETA 2824-2/SW 200 with 38 hours of power reserve.

Mido Ocean Star 600 Chronometer Blue Ref. M026.608.11.041.01

Mido also offers a range of dive watches with extreme water resistance. One that we would like to recommend is Mido Ocean Star 600 Chronometer Blue Ref. M026.608.11.041.01. As the name mentions, it offers 600m water resistance which is definitely a great number to go diving.

As for appearance, the watch comes in a modern design with a solid 316L stainless steel construction and proportional dimensions. The Mido’s iconic straight lugs mid-case design also makes it looks chic. That said, you can have this watch to accompany your watersport activities as well as both casual and formal events.

Squale 101 ATMOS Black Heritage Edition

The last one is the most impressive one on the list which is the Squale 101 ATMOS Black Heritage Edition. We deeply recommend you this watch for professional diving activity. It features 1000m water resistance and lets you rest assured of its performance. Topping it off, Squale ensures durability to support the water resistance rating.

The dial elements have been applied with SuperLuminova followed by coloring with varnishes immune to seawater corrosion and then sealed into the scratch-resistant material. Featuring a lugless tonneau style, it radiates the 60s/70s vibe along with a big crown. Besides, it helps for better grip for the diver.

You might also be interested in another 1000m water resistance watch by Seiko as in its Prospex Tuna special edition, the Prospex Professional 1000M Tuna 35th Anniversary Blue Ref. SBBN051. It’s truly a bulky and sturdy watch with a list of reliable performances.

Final Thought

Nowadays, water resistance rating becomes one of the most important factors in buying timepieces. There are different ranges to choose from the most standard of 100m to the extreme one with 1000m water resistance – some even go beyond. In addition to this number, you also need to pay attention to the types of straps and find which one suits you the most – a leather strap is definitely not an option.

You might also like: 7 Best Dive Watches Under 1000: Get One for Your Next Dive